To enhance our services and make the best of our resources, we cooperate with local and international governmental and non-governmental associations, educational institutions, Armenian and non-Armenian organizations, local community members, parents, and all those who care for the complete well-being of the child.

Below is a list of the national and international agencies we work with, along with details about our cooperation:

I) INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

1.UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to “lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide” (UNHCR.org). Our close cooperation with UNHCR developed during 2013 as the Syrian refugee situation in Lebanon continued to worsen. The Beirut and Mount Lebanon offices of UNHCR have assisted our operations in several different ways:

Organizing an advocacy campaign in our Center to inform the Syrian Armenians about the registration process at the UNHCR and how they can benefit from its medical and social services.

Distributing non-food items and blankets to the Syrian Armenian refugees in Bourj Hammoud.

Organizing meetings with its public health team to discuss public health issues and put out an implementation plan.

HKCC Lebanon’s partnership with UNHCR extends beyond the reception of financial assistance to include memberships in its newly formed public health and protection sectors.

2.Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI)

PU-AMI is a non-profit, non-political and non-religious non-governmental organization that aims at helping victims of acute humanitarian crises. As the implementing partner of the office of UNHCR in the Beirut and Mount Lebanon governorates, PU-AMI is responsible for the employment of a health referral system for the population affected by the Syrian crisis.

In April 2013, HKCC Lebanon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PU-AMI that allows us to receive a subsidy for the costs we for incur from the primary health care assistance we offer the Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The subsidy has two goals: (a) to assist HKCC in providing financial contribution to be used for human resource management, specifically, to provide the funding for two full-time Registered Nurses and three part-time doctors; and (b) to reimburse part of the medical expenses (drugs and laboratory charges) rendered for Syrian refugee cases.

3. War Child Holland
In May 2013, HKCC Lebanon signed an agreement with War Child Holland, an international NGO that aims to help children in conflict areas. War Child Holland partnered with HKCC to provide psycho-social assistance to the displaced Syrian Armenian children who needed special attention. This assistance was provided mainly through our Study Room program.

4. Pontifical Mission (CNEWA: Catholic Near East Welfare Agency):
In May 2013, in partnership with the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate and the Pontifical Mission, HKCC Lebanon distributed clothing to 500 Syrian Armenian families in the country. A month later, we signed an MoU with CNEWA to provide medical, social, and psychological assistance to the Syrian Armenian refugees in Lebanon.

5. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) – Operational Centre Brussels (MSF OCB)
In May 2013, HKCC Lebanon signed an MoU with MSF-OCB through which MSF agreed to provide chronic medications for the displaced Syrian Armenians in Lebanon. MSF additionally took part in funding the lab tests required for the Syrian Armenian cases.

6. Near East Initiatives and Heart for Lebanon
The Near East Initiatives, in partnership with the Heart for Lebanon, has initiated a special relief program to support Lebanese host families to closely monitor and help the displaced Syrian families. By providing relief assistance, local churches can reach out to the Syrian community in Lebanon and encourage them to attend church and put their hope in God.
HKCC Lebanon partnered with the local church in Bourj Hammoud and selected 20 families to regularly receive relief items as well as monthly home visits by our staff and the church involved.

7. Lebanon World Vision, Caritas, Lactapour inc, UNFPA, are among other international organizations who have provided their contributions to HKCC Lebanon to aid the displaced Syrian Armenian families in Lebanon.

II) LEBANESE AGENCIES

1. Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP)
Our cooperation with JMP is one of the oldest and strongest in the history of the Center. We regularly coordinate and cooperate with JMP in various aspects such as social cases, medication dispensing service and community development programs and activities.

One of the most successful outcomes of our cooperation is the joint Chronic Disease Medicine Program. In this Program, doctors’ availability, consultations and chronic drugs are provided by HKCC. As the Center receives these medications from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) through Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), it in it turn hands them over to JMP for management and administrative purposes. This joint program is supervised by the management of JMP through its Medication Dispensing Service.

The JMP Medication Dispensing Service helps to improve the quality and accessibility of individuals to health care. This Service provides medications free-of-charge for cases with chronic illnesses. Individuals who suffer from chronic diseases first pass through HKCC’s Chronic Clinic to consult with a specialized physician, after which they go to JMP to receive the drugs. They later follow-up with their doctor at HKCC Lebanon once every six months, or when needed.

2. Armenian Relief Cross (ARCL – Araxie Boulghourjian Medico Social Center in Lebanon)
HKCC and ARCL – Araxie Boulghourjian Medico Social center are the only Primary Health Care Centers in Bourj-Hammoud recognized by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health through an official decree. Our network and cooperation with ARCL - Araxie Boulghourjian Medico Social Center is very unique as we share similarities in the type of work we do, we also present our common requests to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health about the public health in Bourj Hammoud.
Our social workers regularly collaborate and coordinate their efforts in order to complement our services and give the best care to our patients.

3. World Vision – Lebanon
HKCC Lebanon organizes several community development projects in close partnership with the World Vision Organization in Lebanon. Among these are the Teenagers at Risk Program and Social Reintegration & Empowerment of School Drop-Outs Program, in addition to advocacy campaigns for different women empowerment groups and for marginalized children’s summer school project. We have also received medicine and medical supplies as donations from World Vision headquarters in Lebanon.

4. The Goguikian Foundation
The Goguikian Foundation is a Lebanese not-for-profit organization that aims to provide the means by which a new band of Lebanese-Armenian leaders can be educated and trained to participate in Lebanon’s public sector.

With this vision in mind, the Goguikian Foundation offers scholarships to Lebanese-Armenian students who come from low-income families, who want to pursue their higher education in Lebanon, and who want to be enrolled in the Lebanese public sector workforce. In return, scholarships recipients provide community service volunteer work at any Armenian NGO in Lebanon.

In the past, students sponsored by the Goguikian Foundation have served daily in our Study Room program. In 2014, two graduate students – a speech therapist and a special educator – did their community service at our Children with Special Needs Program, where they provided free counseling and services for these children.

5. Voice of Van – “Tserk Yergarenk” Program:
“Tserk Yergarenk” is a 2-hour radio program on Voice of Van that encourages the community to participate in a fund-raising campaign to help and support one needy family per month. During this program, a social worker from an Armenian organization presents the case of one family to the public. While some families have serious health problems, others suffer from unemployment or family issues.

HKCC Lebanon regularly participates in the program, giving disadvantaged families the chance to receive monetary donations from the public. Through our social workers’ help, community contributions offer the families new hope to live, as they feel the care and love of their communities.

6. JEBID
JEBID is an independent, philanthropic organization that helps underprivileged children in Lebanon. Recently, JEBID has been involved in certain aspects of our work, particularly through clothing donations and fun activities aimed at bringing new life into the hearts of those in need of a smile.

7. Armenian Boarding schools
There are more than 130 children in the Armenian boarding schools in Birds Nest Armenian Orphanage in Jbeil and Aghajanian and Evangelical Boarding schools in Ainjar. Our social workers do the necessary to follow up with students in need of help throughout the year.

8. Institute of Middle East Studies
Each year, the Institute of Middle East Studies facilitates a 5-week summer practical ministry experience for master’s students from Fuller Seminary in the United States. Their experience forms a vital component of their studies and aims to give them a significant experience of life in the Middle East and the complex context in which ministry takes place in the region.

HKCC Lebanon has received several of these students who work with Lebanese organizations to complete their practical ministry in a variety of forms of work and ministry.